# Geolocation Cornfusion - Document format vs. Query/Filter format

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/geolocation-cornfusion-document-format-vs-query-filter-format/4191>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [April 5, 2011, 8:31pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/geolocation-cornfusion-document-format-vs-query-filter-format/4191 "2011-04-05T20:31:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![speedopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@speedopus](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/speedopus)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 8:31pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/geolocation-cornfusion-document-format-vs-query-filter-format/4191/1 "2011-04-05T20:31:25Z")

</div>

First off, after reading the docs it seemed like any document  
structured as

{  
"location" : {  
"lat" : 0,  
"lon" : 0,  
}  
}

Would automatically get mapped as a type : "geo\_point".

So my document should be..I tried fixed mapping and dynamic mapping  
but no luck. With fixed mapping it doesn't get registered as  
geo\_point - clearly a failure on my end but I've no idea what.

here is an example document:  
{  
"rpl\_edu" : {  
"paused" : false,  
"distanceMin": 0,  
"distanceMax": 5,  
"location" : {  
"lat" : 33,  
"lon" : -97  
}  
}  
}

And I am trying to do a filter query like so:  
{  
"query" : {  
"filtered" : {  
"query" : {  
"field" : { "paused" : "false" }  
},  
"filter" : {  
"script" : {  
"script" :"doc['location'].distance(34,-118) \<  
doc['distanceMax'].value"  
}  
}  
}  
}  
}

If I use dynamic mapping, I get "No field found for [location]". I  
have tried using rpl\_edu.location, attempting to emulate  
'pin.location' from the documentation but no luck. If I use fixed  
mapping, it doesn't recognize it as a geo\_point even though I think  
i've defined it as such.

{  
"rpl\_edu" : {  
"properties" : {  
"paused" : { "type" : boolean,"index" : "analyzed" },  
"distanceMin": { "type" : integer,"index" : "analyzed" },  
"distanceMax": { "type" : integer,"index" : "analyzed" },  
"location" : {  
"type" : "geo\_point",  
"index" : "analyzed"  
},  
}  
}  
}

I have tried the query under "\_all/\_search" as well as under the index  
directly "/edus/rpl\_edu/\_search". Tried many things. No idea why ES  
won't grok my query.

I have tried the basic filter geo query defined in the doc

> **[Geo Location and Search
	  	 | Elastic](https://www.elastic.co/blog/geo-location-and-search)**
>
> One of the coolest search technology combinations out there are the ability to combine geo and search. Queries such as give me all the restaurants that serves meat (\[insert your query here\]) within 20...

  
(which by the way there is a bug there - missing a comma after  
'distance'). Query is here:

{"query": {  
"filtered" : {  
"query" : {  
"field" : { "paused" : false }  
},  
"filter" : {  
"geo\_distance" : {  
"distance" : "12km",  
"location" : {  
"lat" : 34,  
"lon" : -118  
}  
}  
}  
}  
}  
}

And this is the output:  
"QueryParsingException[[rpl\_edus] failed to find geo\_point field  
[location]];"

What am I doing wrong?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kimchy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/kimchy/32/44952_2.png) [@kimchy](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/kimchy)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2011, 10:11am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/geolocation-cornfusion-document-format-vs-query-filter-format/4191/2 "2011-04-06T10:11:10Z")

</div>

Geo point _requires_ defining a geo point type. It use to be the case way back, but since a few versions ago, it is required: [Elasticsearch Platform — Find real-time answers at scale | Elastic](http://www.elasticsearch.org/guide/reference/mapping/geo-point-type.html).  
On Tuesday, April 5, 2011 at 11:31 PM, Christopher Smith wrote:

> First off, after reading the docs it seemed like any document  
> structured as
> 
> {  
> "location" : {  
> "lat" : 0,  
> "lon" : 0,  
> }  
> }
> 
> Would automatically get mapped as a type : "geo\_point".
> 
> So my document should be..I tried fixed mapping and dynamic mapping  
> but no luck. With fixed mapping it doesn't get registered as  
> geo\_point - clearly a failure on my end but I've no idea what.
> 
> here is an example document:  
> {  
> "rpl\_edu" : {  
> "paused" : false,  
> "distanceMin": 0,  
> "distanceMax": 5,  
> "location" : {  
> "lat" : 33,  
> "lon" : -97  
> }  
> }  
> }
> 
> And I am trying to do a filter query like so:  
> {  
> "query" : {  
> "filtered" : {  
> "query" : {  
> "field" : { "paused" : "false" }  
> },  
> "filter" : {  
> "script" : {  
> "script" :"doc['location'].distance(34,-118) \<  
> doc['distanceMax'].value"  
> }  
> }  
> }  
> }  
> }
> 
> If I use dynamic mapping, I get "No field found for [location]". I  
> have tried using rpl\_edu.location, attempting to emulate  
> 'pin.location' from the documentation but no luck. If I use fixed  
> mapping, it doesn't recognize it as a geo\_point even though I think  
> i've defined it as such.
> 
> {  
> "rpl\_edu" : {  
> "properties" : {  
> "paused" : { "type" : boolean,"index" : "analyzed" },  
> "distanceMin": { "type" : integer,"index" : "analyzed" },  
> "distanceMax": { "type" : integer,"index" : "analyzed" },  
> "location" : {  
> "type" : "geo\_point",  
> "index" : "analyzed"  
> },  
> }  
> }  
> }
> 
> I have tried the query under "\_all/\_search" as well as under the index  
> directly "/edus/rpl\_edu/\_search". Tried many things. No idea why ES  
> won't grok my query.
> 
> I have tried the basic filter geo query defined in the doc  
> [Elasticsearch Platform — Find real-time answers at scale | Elastic](http://www.elasticsearch.org/blog/2010/08/16/geo_location_and_search.html)  
> (which by the way there is a bug there - missing a comma after  
> 'distance'). Query is here:
> 
> {"query": {  
> "filtered" : {  
> "query" : {  
> "field" : { "paused" : false }  
> },  
> "filter" : {  
> "geo\_distance" : {  
> "distance" : "12km",  
> "location" : {  
> "lat" : 34,  
> "lon" : -118  
> }  
> }  
> }  
> }  
> }  
> }
> 
> And this is the output:  
> "QueryParsingException[[rpl\_edus] failed to find geo\_point field  
> [location]];"
> 
> What am I doing wrong?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![speedopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@speedopus](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/speedopus)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2011, 6:33pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/geolocation-cornfusion-document-format-vs-query-filter-format/4191/3 "2011-04-06T18:33:05Z")

</div>

Thank you for the response. As indicated I tried that as well.  
Perhaps you could help me understand why that didn't work?

Here is the setup:

I place a file in /usr/local/elasticsearch/config/mappings/edus/  
rpl\_edu/rpl\_edu.json. This is the correct location right? (I also  
tried under \_index in mappings.) The contents define a geo\_point like  
so:

{  
"rpl\_edu" : {  
"properties" : {  
"paused" : { "type" : boolean,"index" : "analyzed" },  
"distanceMin": { "type" : integer,"index" : "analyzed" },  
"distanceMax": { "type" : integer,"index" : "analyzed" },  
"location" : {  
"type" : "geo\_point",  
},  
}  
}

}

Which from the docs appears to be the correct way to define a  
geo\_point type (Yes, I deleted all my indexes and regenerated them  
after installing the mapping).

Here is an example record written to the index that defines the above  
mapping:

{  
"rpl\_edu" : {  
"paused" : false,  
"distanceMin": 0,  
"distanceMax": 0,  
"location" : {  
"lat" : 33,  
"lon" : -97  
},  
}

When I query against this, it cannot find the ["location"] datapoint,  
even though it is clearly in the record.

E.G.  
QUERY -  
{"query" : {  
"filtered" : {  
"query" : {  
"field" : { "paused" : "false" }  
},  
"filter" : {  
"script" : {  
"script" :"doc['location'].distance(33,-97) \<  
doc['distanceMax'].value"  
}  
}  
}  
}  
}

RESULT -  
"CompileException[[Error: No field found for [location]]\n[Near : {...  
doc['location'].distance(33,-9 ....}]"

Here is a query that DOES work against this index:  
{  
"query" : {  
"field" : { "location.lat" : 33 }  
}  
}

Which makes me think it's NOT getting picked up as a geo\_point. I'm  
starting to think the mapping is not working.

Lastly, I try a regular geo\_distance query against this based on what  
is in the docs:

RESULT:  
"failed to find geo\_point field [location]]"

So - clearly it is not finding the mapping. I cannot seem to figure  
out why not. From the above it "seems" like I 'm doing it right. I  
move my mapping definition from config/mappings/edus/rpl\_edu.json to  
config/mappings/\_index/rpl\_edu.json. I delete all my data and reseed.

RESULT:  
failed to find geo\_point field [location]]

I then tried defining the mapping via a json call with equivalent  
results. Delete data. Reseed index.

curl -XGET '[http://localhost:9200/edus/rpl\_edu/\_mapping](http://localhost:9200/edus/rpl_edu/_mapping)' -d  
@createGeoMapping.json (the contents of the file are the same as  
the mapping pasted in above)

RESULT:  
"failed to find geo\_point field [location]]"

I am using 0.15.1.

Am I doing something terribly wrong and mentally unsound here? I'm  
usually pretty good at following instructions, and virtually never  
wind up posting in forums - but even after reading the docs, following  
the docs, pillaging the forums - the issue persists. Please help me  
understand this. I'd really, really like this to work and I feel as  
if I've tried every relevant combination I could think of, prior to  
troubling the forum.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kimchy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/kimchy/32/44952_2.png) [@kimchy](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/kimchy)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2011, 6:54pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/geolocation-cornfusion-document-format-vs-query-filter-format/4191/4 "2011-04-06T18:54:54Z")

</div>

Yes, it seems like the mapping is not being picked up. You can validate the actual mapping used by using the GET mapping API.

You should place the mapping definition within the index directory, no need for a type directory as well. In your case: /usr/local/elasticsearch/config/mappings/edus/rpl\_edu.json.

As a side note, not a big fan of mapping config based on files, much nicer to create them in the create index API.  
On Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 9:33 PM, Christopher Smith wrote:

> Thank you for the response. As indicated I tried that as well.  
> Perhaps you could help me understand why that didn't work?
> 
> Here is the setup:
> 
> I place a file in /usr/local/elasticsearch/config/mappings/edus/  
> rpl\_edu/rpl\_edu.json. This is the correct location right? (I also  
> tried under \_index in mappings.) The contents define a geo\_point like  
> so:
> 
> {  
> "rpl\_edu" : {  
> "properties" : {  
> "paused" : { "type" : boolean,"index" : "analyzed" },  
> "distanceMin": { "type" : integer,"index" : "analyzed" },  
> "distanceMax": { "type" : integer,"index" : "analyzed" },  
> "location" : {  
> "type" : "geo\_point",  
> },  
> }  
> }
> 
> }
> 
> Which from the docs appears to be the correct way to define a  
> geo\_point type (Yes, I deleted all my indexes and regenerated them  
> after installing the mapping).
> 
> Here is an example record written to the index that defines the above  
> mapping:
> 
> {  
> "rpl\_edu" : {  
> "paused" : false,  
> "distanceMin": 0,  
> "distanceMax": 0,  
> "location" : {  
> "lat" : 33,  
> "lon" : -97  
> },  
> }
> 
> When I query against this, it cannot find the ["location"] datapoint,  
> even though it is clearly in the record.
> 
> E.G.  
> QUERY -  
> {"query" : {  
> "filtered" : {  
> "query" : {  
> "field" : { "paused" : "false" }  
> },  
> "filter" : {  
> "script" : {  
> "script" :"doc['location'].distance(33,-97) \<  
> doc['distanceMax'].value"  
> }  
> }  
> }  
> }  
> }
> 
> RESULT -  
> "CompileException[[Error: No field found for [location]]\n[Near : {...  
> doc['location'].distance(33,-9 ....}]"
> 
> Here is a query that DOES work against this index:  
> {  
> "query" : {  
> "field" : { "location.lat" : 33 }  
> }  
> }
> 
> Which makes me think it's NOT getting picked up as a geo\_point. I'm  
> starting to think the mapping is not working.
> 
> Lastly, I try a regular geo\_distance query against this based on what  
> is in the docs:
> 
> RESULT:  
> "failed to find geo\_point field [location]]"
> 
> So - clearly it is not finding the mapping. I cannot seem to figure  
> out why not. From the above it "seems" like I 'm doing it right. I  
> move my mapping definition from config/mappings/edus/rpl\_edu.json to  
> config/mappings/\_index/rpl\_edu.json. I delete all my data and reseed.
> 
> RESULT:  
> failed to find geo\_point field [location]]
> 
> I then tried defining the mapping via a json call with equivalent  
> results. Delete data. Reseed index.
> 
> curl -XGET '[http://localhost:9200/edus/rpl\_edu/\_mapping](http://localhost:9200/edus/rpl_edu/_mapping)' -d  
> @createGeoMapping.json (the contents of the file are the same as  
> the mapping pasted in above)
> 
> RESULT:  
> "failed to find geo\_point field [location]]"
> 
> I am using 0.15.1.
> 
> Am I doing something terribly wrong and mentally unsound here? I'm  
> usually pretty good at following instructions, and virtually never  
> wind up posting in forums - but even after reading the docs, following  
> the docs, pillaging the forums - the issue persists. Please help me  
> understand this. I'd really, really like this to work and I feel as  
> if I've tried every relevant combination I could think of, prior to  
> troubling the forum.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 4:08am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/geolocation-cornfusion-document-format-vs-query-filter-format/4191/5 "2017-07-06T04:08:45Z")

</div>